


the dirt and the dark

by funkymoths



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Criminals, Canon Typical Feral Lesbians, F/F, Manuela is The Dark and Karolina is The Dirt, be gay do crimes, is this whole fic an exteneded kfam reference? maybe, karolina is buff because im gay and i said so, this also may or may not be inspired by that one scene in taz amnesty, you know the one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-26 18:45:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19011679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/funkymoths/pseuds/funkymoths
Summary: karolina górka may be a master thief, but she never counted on stealing the heart of a fellow criminal.





	the dirt and the dark

**Author's Note:**

> legally i can only write obscure monster lesbian rarepairs

Manuela looks behind her one last time, before pulling the mask over her face and stepping into the building. She’d checked and double checked the security guard schedules and had made sure to disable the cameras. She steps over the threshold, and into the Science Institute. Outside, the night air was warm, but inside, the air was frigid.

 

As she steps forward, Manuela worries that the fluorescent lights are going flick on, but the lobby stays blissfully dark. So far, everything was going according to plan. The floor plan is exactly like Raynor said it would be, and Manuela has no problem finding the elevator to the lower levels. 

 

As the elevator doors open, Manuela sees the searching beam of light coming from a security guard’s flashlight. Quickly, she slips into the shadows, the darkness shrouding her small figure. She smiles to herself as the guard walks past, not seeing her despite being mere feet away.  _ They don’t call me  _ The Dark  _ for nothing,  _ she thinks.

 

The rest of the Science Institute basement is miraculously empty. There were fewer guards then Manuela expected, but she didn’t think too much on it. She follows the directions Raynor had given her: two rights, followed by a left, and another right.

 

After the third right, she found herself facing a door. It’s unlabeled, except for a small plaque simply reads “Lab”.

 

And it’s open.

 

Just a bit, but it was enough to unnerve Manuela. She steps closer, noticing small scratches around the lock. Manuela has been in the business of crime long enough to know what it looks like when a lock has been picked.

 

Apprehensively, she pushes it open slightly, and peers through the crack. There’s a person in there, and they’re standing next to an open briefcase. They close it, locking the latches with a tiny key before shoving the key into one of the numerous pockets in their cargo pants. For a split second, Manuela can see the inside of the briefcase. There’s a small metal box and a folder with the words “ _ PROJECT BLACKSUN: CLASSIFIED”  _ stamped onto it in black ink.

 

_ That’s my prize!  _ Manuela thinks angrily, gritting her teeth. Without thinking, she pushes the door open, and steps inside.

 

“Pardon me, I’m with security.” She says firmly, putting on her best Tough-Guy voice. “You aren’t supposed to be back here. If you could just hand that briefcase to me-“

 

The person turns to face Manuela. She’s almost a foot taller than Manuela, with dark curly hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her long brown coat is dusty, and it gives her a sort of cowboy look. When Manuela sees the small black mask the woman is wearing to cover the top half of her face, she realizes who she is. Out of sheer bad luck, Manuela had run into local thieving legend  _ The Dirt. _

 

No one knew the Dirt’s real identity. Some said she was just a humble criminal, others called her an angel of death. Her crime scenes had puzzled investigators ever since her first robbery. Witnesses reported seeing a young woman in a mask and a long coat, who left a trail of dirt wherever she walked and made it feel as though the walls of rooms were closing in on them. Many a bank teller had been found suffocated in the vaults with all the money gone, even though there should’ve been enough oxygen for at least a few more hours. 

 

Manuela just stands there, dumbstruck.

 

“I didn’t realize that Science Institute security had adopted the new ‘All Leather’ uniform.” The Dirt says. She crosses her arms and looks Manuela in the eyes.

 

There was another thing that the newspapers had failed to mention about the Dirt, Manuela realizes,  _ she’s hot as fuck. _

 

Manuela blinks, and it feels as though the lab has shrunk. The walls look closer than they were before, but Manuela just figures that the tall tales about the woman standing in front of her are messing with her head.

 

“Uh,” Manuela stutters.

 

“I really hate to do this, you know.” The Dirt rolls up her sleeves, revealing muscular forearms. Every word that comes out of her mouth is precise and well thought out, which isn’t what Manuela expects from a criminal. The Dirt draws back her fist, preparing to strike the shorter woman.

 

“Wait!” Manuela holds out her hands in surrender. “I can help you out.” The Dirt halts her motion, confused.

 

“Who are you, anyway?”

 

“I’m The Dark.” Manuela says, a little too proudly. The Dirt laughs. It’s a nice laugh, Manuela thinks. “I’m a big fan of your work.” She adds.

 

“Well, Miss Dark.” The Dirt looks at Manuela quizzically. “What do you need Project BlackSun for?” She holds up the briefcase, just a few inches out of Manuela’s reach.

 

“My employer wants it,” Manuela says.

 

“Ah. You work for Raynor, no?” The Dirt asks.

 

“How did you know that?” Asks Manuela. Laughing to herself, the Dirt says,

 

“Well as it turns out, I’m the one trying to stop him.” She explains. “It’s a shame you’re cute.” Manuela could feel her face go red under her mask.

 

There is a noise from the hallway, and both women turn to look at the door. The Dirt grabs Manuela’s arm.

 

“If they catch us,” she says in a hushed tone. “Neither of us are getting out of here with the BlackSun.” With a tug, The Dirt pulls Manuela into a small supply closet. The closet door clicks shut just as the lab door bursts open.

 

The Dirt props a broom under the handle of the door. “That should hold it.” She whispers. Manuela locks eyes with her through the dark, and for a moment she wonders if the tall woman is going to kill her. Instead, the dirt sticks out her hand. “Call me Karolina.” She smiles as Manuela shakes it. “And what can I call you?”

 

“My name is...Lucy.” Manuela lies. Karolina giggles.

 

“Your real name.” She grins. Manuela sighs.

 

“Manuela.” The shorter woman stares at her feet.

 

Karolina pulls her mask off, wiping sweat from her brow. For a moment, Manuela stands transfixed; she hadn’t noticed the gorgeous dark brown of Karolina’s eyes before. They’re like fertile farmland after a rain: dark and luscious and full of life. Karolina’s cheeks and nose are patterned with a spattering of freckles, and Manuela suddenly feels the urge to lean in and count every single one.

Manuela mentally kicks herself for getting so distracted and quickly looks away. The walls of the closet are closing in, like the walls of the lab. 

 

“Are you doing that?”

 

“Doing what?” Karolina tilts her head.

 

“The walls. They look like they’re moving.”

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” As Karolina says this, the space shrinks again. She and Manuela are pressed together, nearly nose to nose. Manuela can feel every one of Karolina’s breaths, every one of her little movements. The pressure is intense, yet comforting. It reminds Manuela of the weighted blanket she’d had as a kid. Manuela inhales sharply. It’s been a long time since she’d been in such close proximity to a woman like Karolina. Every time Karolina shifts or moves, Manuela can feel her toned muscles rippling under her coat. She pushes that thought aside. “I think they’re gone.” Karolina says, reaching her arm past Manuela to grasp the door handle.

 

In that moment, Manuela wants nothing more than for Karolina to wrap her strong arms around her. 

 

The closet door opens outward, and Manuela stumbles backward, falling onto the linoleum lab floor. Karolina falls too, nearly landing face first on top of Manuela before stopping herself with her arm. The briefcase holding the BlackSun goes skidding across the floor. Neither of the women makes a move to get it. 

 

Blushing, Karolina gets to her feet. 

 

“Take the briefcase.” She says, extending her arm to help Manuela up. “Raynor can win this round.”

 

“Right. The briefcase.” Manuela nods. She’d almost forgotten about it.

 

“I better be going.” Karolina says, pulling her mask over her face. She smiles at Manuela. “Keep in touch, will you?” With a wink that’s enough to make Manuela melt where she stands, Karolina ducks out the lab door before she can be followed.

 

Manuela opens the briefcase, unclipping the latches slowly. With a gasp, she notices that the metal box and file are gone. In their place, is a small piece of paper, with a phone number scrawled on it in a neat cursive script.  _ Call me,  _ it reads,  _ Love, Karolina _ . 

 

She tucks the note into her coat pocket, smiling, somehow not mad about the theft. Raynor would be, of course, but that was a problem for another day...

**Author's Note:**

> I’m on tumblr @units214!


End file.
